New Law on general administrative procedure to ensure better public protection of citizens

The aim of drafting and adopting new Law on general administrative procedure is threefold: to enhance functioning of the administration, to enable better exercise and protection of citizens’ rights and interests, as well as public interests, and to perfect Serbia’s belonging to European administration area, emphasized today Minister of justice and public administration Nikola Selakovic at a public debate on draft law proposal on general administrative procedure, organized in the Palace of “Serbia”.

Minister Selakovic said that enhancing functioning of administration shall be reflected through its higher efficacy, efficiency and accountability and that the new Law on general administrative procedure shall simplify and reduce formalities in the administrative procedure, and thereby make the work of administration easier and faster.

“The principle of procedure efficacy and efficiency prescribes that obtaining of data registered in official records and stated in public documents issued based on them, shall be the obligation of the administrative bodies. The aim is to thereby free citizens and businesses of undue administrative burden and ensure that they get more for the money they pay to the administration,” Selakovic said and added that the intention of legislator was also to create conditions for more comprehensive and better quality exercise and protection of citizens’ rights and interests on the one hand, and of public interests, on the other.

Selakovic observed that the draft Law expands public protection of citizens and businesses also in relation to other activities of the administration, so that after the new law comes into force it will also enable protection of citizens from factual, daily activities performed by administration bodies which significantly influence citizens’ lives and, more importantly, their protection against unconscious and illegal performance of public services.

“This draft prescribes that suppliers of public services shall be obliged to render them timely and in accordance with high quality standards, and that citizens paying for such services shall be able to request and get legal redress in case that such standards would not be met”, Selakovic underlined.

In conclusion Minister of justice and public administration noted that the draft law proposal on general administrative procedure introduces also the institute of administrative agreements, which strengthens the position of administration bodies in such contracts, with the view of better exercise and protection of public interest.

“Thus, this draft includes a provision which envisages that any contract, such as agreement on public-private partnership or concession agreement, shall be pronounced null and void when not concluded in public interest. At a time of strong fight against corruption this shall be one more useful and efficient instrument in the hands of the state”, Selakovic concluded.